บท 9: Novel 1-The first Realm
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/The next day…/
Somewhere around the city…
[Call closed]
"... Sigh."
"Who was it?"
"Little Fei. He called to ask how Lin was doing since he couldn't contact her." Mr. Xang said as he put down his phone with a depressed gaze
"Oh, how nice of him. Is he doing fine? After what happened…"
"You think something like this will deter the boy? I heard from his father that yesterday morning, the lad left home for another city before returning within the same day… He isn't stopping for anything, not even this."
"He strong indeed… But such is often just a front to mask how one truly feels… Maybe that's just his way of coping with everything."
"Maybe, but I doubt so, the boy has always been strong, ever since he was small… Anyhow, he came to say he's going to the Platinum Falls to advance to an Intermediate Card User."
"My! Already? He's quite energetic, isn't he? But Intermediate already…"
"You call that energetic? I heard he was aiming to win the City-Wide Competition and the National one. Besides, becoming an Intermediate Card User is no big deal, it's only a matter of condensing the Ether he gathered throughout his life, and I heard his affinity and gauge were so high he broke the testing machine."
"I also heard that, fufu, he's quite the figure, isn't he?" His wife replied as she got up from her seat
"Where are you going?"
"Where else, to talk some sense into that daughter of mine."
"Dear…"
"I know, she needs time, but… She also needs to gather her bearings and move on."
Yesterday morning, Lin woke up in a daze, unsure of what had happened the night before. Her thoughts ended somewhere along with her return home.
They also shared the news of what happened with her, one bit at a time, to reduce the impact on her… But she was still shell-shocked to hear the truth.
She panicked and hyperventilated as she imagined the horrific scenes of the party, and after almost vomiting once, she ran back to her room, where she remained since then.
She cried and cried in the dark, but there was little either of them could do.
It was a shame a girl her age had to fear others, but that was how the world worked. The many good people needed to be cautious of the few crazy individuals out there.
She had to accept what happened and move on, as in the end, the issue wasn't with her or any of her friends. It was cruel, but she couldn't live in pain for another, nor fear the outside.
Lin had to accept the world for what it trully was, her parents only feared she was given too little time…
"She's too spoiled. We protected her far too much, now… She's like this. I wonder what they taught him for Little Fei to grow like that…" Mr Xang said as he touched the back of his head
"Watch what you say, our daughter's completely fine in every shape imaginable. She's just like any other lady and child… She's growing up."
"... You're right."
"I'll talk to her, see if she has calmed down by now. And if she has, if she's willing to join him."
"If she dwells too much on this issue, Little Fei will run too far for her to catch, and I'm sure that would devastate her more than anything."
"Very well…"
'Sigh… How could this even happen… Their awakening day was meant to be their day, something to be remembered as a fond memory… Not this disaster.'
'I heard many children are like Lin, confused and fearful of the world… We have failed them as the older generation.'
"... It's all those bastard's fault. The Mayor will pay for trying to cover for them."
'We'll make sure of it.'
…
/Later that day…/
[Attention all passengers, we're about to land at…]
"... We're here."
Rulio looked out the window towards the city below.
A grand carpet of skyscrapers rose from the earth, their glistering lights visible from high above.
'Caliborn City, built around the Platinum Falls Fragmented Realm.'
'Caliborn City was once the home base of an Ancient Clan, I don't know much about them or why they fell, but the Platinum Falls was once part of their Secret Realms.'
'Eventually, the Card Rule took over the Realm, using it for its purposes. Not that any of that matters; it's just old history now.'
"Are we going to the Platinum Falls immediately, young master?" Dav asked as he checked a few things on a small tablet
"Yes, there's no time to waste. We can stop to rest and eat once we're inside."
'I'm on a tight schedule after all, after here, I'll be going through a series of Secret Realms my father booked to help me gain some experience.'
'I'm excited…'
/Shuaa…/
The plane landed smoothly.
…
/Later…/
[Current stop: Platinum Falls]
Underground, Rulio and Dav exited the subway and walked to the surface, ignoring everything in their path.
/Chattering.../
"This place's quite busy." Rulio said out loud as he looked at the people
Outside of the subway station was a massive central park with an even larger six-lane street surrounding it.
Every minute, hundreds of cars passed through.
In the air, flying beast came and went from the park, and together with the flying cars, even the sky was somewhat bloated.
In the middle of the park, after a lush forest and many shops and attractions, was a tall, obsidian dark obsidian pillar.
The pillar was utterly smooth, twenty meters wide and fifty meters tall.
It was the entrance to the Platinum Falls Fragmented Realm.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, young master, we may proceed to the entrance line as planned."
"Then let's go."
There were hundreds of people around and it was somewhat chaotic, but it wasn't that bad compared to some other places he had been before.
Entering the Realm was even simpler than he thought, he followed a map, reached the VIP Line, waited a few minutes, and soon enough, he and a small group were called to enter the realm.
They were then checked for illegal items before being let inside with the group.
'They're rather strict… Likely to prevent people from coming and going as they wish, they have to preserve this place somehow and prevent people from causing trouble.'
'Anyhow, my entrance reason was clearly to hunt in the wilds and not recreational, so I likely won't be allowed inside the resorts, not that I care anyway.'
The Platinum Falls were like small countries in size; the falls themselves comprised only a tiny portion of their total area.
The Falls were indeed where most people would remain, but Rulio's gaze was elsewhere.
"..."
"This is your first time entering the Platinum Falls, isn't it, young master?"
"Yes… But it's okay; it's not my first time entering a secret realm."
"Then don't forget, to pass through the Obelisk, you must focus on what's beyond it. If you treat it like a wall, it'll reject you."
"You can also close your eyes and hold onto someone else's hands, it helps too."
"Haa… That would be a bit embarrassing."
Rulio stared at the tall dark obelisk, it was the entrance, but it looked more like a wall.
It was faint, but reflected on its surface was somewhere else… Not him or the park behind him, but a completely different place…
He could see several people, from children to adults having difficulty passing through the gate, some laughed, others cried, many were embarrassed…
'These things irk me to this day… I wonder what the mathematics behind this are… It's something only taught to University graduates after all.'
'And even thought I'll enter University, I don't plan to become a researcher or scientist, at most, I'll be the one to hire them.'
'Maybe if I have the time…'
/Step!/
Rulio stepped forward determinedly.
/Fwop…/
Like water, the surface of the Obelisk trembled as his foot passed through it, and immediately after, the world changed.
New sounds, new smells, new everything.
Throughout the passage, Rulio didn't even blink.
"Impressive, young master. Most don't succeed in their first time."
"Thank you, honestly, it was a little off-putting… But woah… When they said, Platinum Falls had more Ether in the air… They weren't kidding."
"I can almost breathe it."
'It's a few times more dense than in Golden Gate…'
Golden Gate was the name of Rulio's hometown. The city where dreams came true!
'Still, not enough to be problematic. I imagine that the density can get toxic if you get too closer to the falls.'
Anything in nature is bad in excessive quantities, even air.
"From here on out, according to the Lord's wishes, I'll follow right behind you."
/Nod…/
'This was meant to be something I should do alone, but because of what happened with the Mayor's son, father grew a little wary, so he had Dav follow me close by.'
'Dav would've already accompanied me, but instead of moving with me, he would've stayed in the inns near the falls while I did my thing.'
'Now I have someone on my tail… Not that Dav is a bother. But it's annoying to lose the chance to be by myself.'
"We'll be moving upstream toward the Golden Mountains."
The Ether rivers that formed the Platinum Falls didn't form out of nowhere. The Ether itself condensed high above on the Golden Mountains before descending and fusing into one mega river.
It's also where the Ether density is the greatest.
'To become an Intermediate Card user, you must condense Ether, that's obvious, but what about the Ratio?'
'For most people, it's 1:10, to those that want to overdo it… 1:500…'
'There are four ratios one can choose if they wish to grow stronger.'
'1:10, 1:25, 1:100, and finally, 1:500.'
'The first one is far too little for me, because in the end, your Ether won't be properly condensed, and in the end, you won't be able to transition to an Expert Grade Card User.'
'But 1:500 is far too much. If you keep going with this ratio, by the time you're making your way to the Expert Grade, your Ether will be 25 times denser than someone who chose to condense it at the previous ratio.'
'It's too much. And completely unnecessary. People often do it because it increases the robustness of their Ether, but if you have the right Cards, relying on that just becomes a chore.'
'This isn't the age of Cultivators anymore, it's the age of Card Users. So try to play their game instead.'
'The Ether density around the falls is likely far greater than even that, so it should be easy for me to condense mine.'
'If the pressure outside my body is greater than inside, I won't need to spend energy condensing my Ether. The environment will do so for me… Given my body is sturdy enough to resist the process.'
Rulio soon found a path leading to the wilderness.
There was a large fence blocking the resort area of the Falls. Anything beyond it was outside of the council's jurisdiction that ensures their safety.
Injuries outside were the total responsibility of those who ventured outside.
"Young Master."
"Yes?"
"I'll follow you from afar. In case you need my assistance. Just make use of the device."
"Don't forget to rely on the Cards, they'll buy enough time for me to reach your location."
"No problem Dav, I know what to do."
Rulio had two Card Boxes on him, one was full of special Cards his father gave him for his protection, the other was where his Card Decks were.
He was ready to brave the wilderness.
…
/Step… Crunch…/
"Alright!... This should be far away enough."
Rulio looked around for a moment before pulling a card from his deck.
/Crack!/
/Shine!/
"Master." Ririan replied as she stepped out of the Ether mist
"This place…"
"It's the place I told you about before. The Platinum Falls."
"There's so much Ether in the air… Then, what do you need me to?"
"Summon your Army and have it scurry throughout the area, here's a map of the surroundings so try to avoid any populated regions."
"We'll be moving deeper into the field, so expect to face stronger foes. The Ether levels here are quite high, so there's a chance we'll find Expert Level beasts… And Users."
"Spread your soldiers and have them look for resources as we move. If you find anything, gather it."
"What if we meet with other Users?"
"Ignore them, but try not to lead them towards us, if necessary, just unsummon your Skeletons; it's best if they aren't holding anything, but if they are, just estimate the cost and benefit before making your choice."
"Usually, you can talk with people, so if you communicate with them through the Summons, they should leave you alone."
"But if they're persistent, you can engage and neutralize them… Alive and mostly in one piece please. I don't want to raise too much smoke."
"There are many common Users here and they don't deserve to be beaten for being startled, but there are also many villains, but until we can differentiate both, we'll assume everyone is guilty free, unless they're right before us, threatening our safety."
"In that case, I'll give you the order to engage, but if they strike first or if you feel like they will, you may engage without my orders and kill them, neutralization if possible, be it in one piece or not. It doesn't matter."
"Everyone that threatens our safety does not need to be listened to. But do enforce caution, the world is vast and full of possibilities, being ruthless all the time will only make us enemies."
"I'll keep that in mind, young master."
"As for other creatures… You're allowed to take any down. Once they fall, if they turn into a Card or anything else, bring it back to us, if not, skin them for their pelt and valuable parts before moving on, we don't have the resources to drag dozens of carcasses around."
'Beasts born with these realms can turn into Cards once defeated, albeit rarely. However, there is a small chance they'll leave something else behind, like an item or resource.'
'Usually, they're just broken apart by the Card Rule and turned back into Ether.'
'In some cases, they'll leave behind their corpse for handling as usual.'
'The order of rarity is: Break Apart into Ether -> Corpse -> Card -> Items and etc.'
/RISE!/
/CRACKLE!/
Ririan raised her staff, summoning her ten Skeleton Mages before they all began summoning their minions…
Before long, an army of hundreds of Skeletons formed on the field.
"You already know the orders, scatter!" Ririan proclaimed as she pointed at the forest
"Bring our master everything this place has to offer!"
/CRACKLE!/
The echo of a hundred jaws reverberated throughout the forest…
/Thud… Thud…/
Before him, two gargantuan skeleton abominations kneeled on the ground, and even then, their heads remained out of his reach.
They wore sharp, robust black armor, held a tower shield in their left hand, and carried a large ax in their right.
It was apparent Ririan put some effort into summoning them as their equipment was better than usual. Maybe it was because this was their first time being put in action.
Ririan didn't want to disappoint her master.
"These are?..."
"I summoned two Skeleton Colossus to protect us and open the way forward. If it's too much, I…"
"No Ririan, it's okay. They're tall and a bit noisy, but the trees are still taller than them so that we won't be seen."
"I don't mind attracting some attention; we can deal with it, but the nature of my Cards must remain secretive until we're ready to reveal ourselves fully to the world, if ever. You know why, don't you?"
"Of course, Master, your will is mine." She replied as she touched her chest and bowed
"Haa… You don't need to be so formal… Anyhow… ONWARDS!"
/Thud!... Crack!/
With the help of the two Skeleton Colossus, the way forward was slowly carved through the dense jungle.
/Meanwhile…/
"Young… Master…"
Dav watched in horror as he saw the trail of destroyed trees in Rulio's wake.
'Even if this place has great vitality, this much destruction is wanted for, right?'
'Besides… Is this meant to be possible for a child who just became a Card User? This area of the Falls is home to quite a few Intermediate creatures, with a few Advanced in between…'
'And he's aiming for the Golden Mountains where even stronger creatures reside… Hopefully, he will be deterred before then. Otherwise… It'll get a little complicated.'
Dav sighed. It seemed following Rulio wouldn't be as complicated as he thought… But was that for the better?
…
/A few hours later…/
/ROAAARR!/
/SWOOSH!/
/BAM!/
/CUT!/
Further North, the two Skeleton Colossus fought against a large bear-like creature valiantly, pushing it to the edge with their combined might.
Behind them, atop a tree branch, Rulio watched with Ririan and the Skeleton Wizards as the fight progressed.
This was a test to see how strong the Colossus were. Their opponent was quite the foe, an Advanced Level beast that would take a party of Advanced Card Users to take down.
The Colossus were strong, but were they enough to take it on?
/SWIPE!/
A broad swipe as the bear beast tried to push them off their feat!
/CLANG!/
/SWING!/
But the left Colossus blocked it, allowing the right one to slam it's shield down at the bear's leg, breaking it!
/CRACK!/
/ROAAAARRR!!/
/SLAM!/
The left one spared it no time by slamming its shield against its face, pushing it back violently.
/SWING!.../
/BURST!/
/ROAAAARRRR!/
"Hoo…"
"It went Berserk, Master."
Berserk is a state some creatures could reach when their total vitality goes down a certain point.
A last struggle, all beasts had some sort of last-ditch ability.
In this Bear's case…
/SLAM!/
/Crack!/
"... Tsk."
The bear got up and slammed its claws against the Colossus shield, but this time, with its enhanced strength, the shield… Broke!
Not entirely, but it wouldn't last long.
/SLAM!/
The other Skeleton swung its ax down, but the bear ignored the pain, jumping after it and bitting its neck!
/CRACK!/
With that, the Colossus neck split, and its enormous body fell down like a massive log.
/ROAAARRR!!/
The bear roared, but the only thing that welcomed it was an ax to the face!
/SPLIT!/
/CRUNCH!/
/FALL!!.../
A critical strike at the right moment! The Skeleton Colussus' ax cut straight into the bear's face, splitting its eye, breaking its bones, and causing it to fall.
"... Phew."
On the side, Ririan let out a sigh of relief. Happy for her victory.
Although she wasn't doing much, this was still technically her first fight. As she watched the Colossus fight, she realized she could've strengthened them much further. Yet she didn't for the sake of keeping things "Simple".
She regreted it now, from perfect to a bitter victory, it made her somewhat upset.
/Shine…/
The giant bear's body began to shine, and soon enough, a small translucent Card was left in its place.
One of the Liches raised their hand, and the Card flew to Rulio.
He didn't pay it much heed, reading through its contents:
{Giant Forest Beron /Advanced/
Type: Summon
Activation Cost: 80
Effect: Conjures a massive Forest Beron to fight for the user!
Duration: Until HP runs out
Augmentation: N/A
}
"Oh? It's a Variant Card. Beron's are already quite large, but this one is classified as Giant." He said with a small smile before putting the card aside
"Hm… Damage report?"
"Yes, Master, one Colossus fell, but the damage is barely considerable." She said as she raised her right hand
/Crack… Fuse… Rise…/
The Skeleton Colossus slowly reformed as its neck bones fused together once more, and in no time at all, it was back in action.
As for the other Colossus, its armor quickly repaired itself as if nothing had happened.
"Quite impressive, if there were three, the Beron would've fallen easily, and right now, we should be able to summon ten... No, twenty Colossus to fight."
"Unless the foe can instantly break through their defenses, taking them down wouldn't be easy, especially if they're in formation."
"Individually, long weapons like Halberds are likely the best option, but when together, a shield wall formation with spears is likely what we should aim for."
"I'll keep that in mind, Master."
"... Aw, come on, smile a bit more for me. This was an incredible result, there will be many more fights ahead of us and you'll have the chance to prove yourself."
"What I want from you is to one day complement my orders with your own thoughts as in the end, the one who knows your abilities the most is you."
"What's the point of your intelligence if you never question me? I like to talk to you, so make sure you do, alright?" He said with a smile as he stepped forward onto the Colossus' raised hand
"Let's move on, the sun is barely high in the sky!"
The sun high above was but a reflection of the real one, if they flew in the sky, they would eventually reach the limit of the realm and clash against a barrier.
It was possible to pierce through it and reach the outside world, but it was tough.
"... Yes, Master~." Ririan said with a smile as she walked after him
"Hm!"
Suddently, one of the Liches' eyes turned red, and they conveyed a message to Ririan.
"What is it, Ririan?"
"Master, one of the Assassin Scout groups has found an unusual item further North, it seems to be of considerable quality given the Ether waves its releasing, we don't know what to do with it as it's beyond our knowledge."
"Oho… It's probably an Expert Grade material, quite the find! Let's go team, the more wealth we gather, the more Cards I can Enhance."
…
/Thud!... Thud…/
"We're here, I can feel the Ether density rise by the second… I imagine the source comes from that cavern?"
"Correct Master."
"Good, put me down, let's take a look at what we're working with here." He ordered as he saw the cave
/Crouch…/
The Skeleton Colossus slowly lowered him down before the cavern, and Rulio soon saw the target.
It was a small flower with three different petals growing on a small rock.
He didn't recognize it at first, so he pointed his T.A.C on his left wrist at the plant, and information about it soon appeared before him.
"It's a Five Fervent Flower, extremely poisonous… Master Grade material."
"Five Fervent? But there are only three petals."
"It's a bit confusing, but five comes not from its appearance but the five stages of pain you'll go through if its poison enters your bloodstream."
"I won't go into details, but this is an amazing find… We'll stay here for a while, it's the perfect place for me to break through."
'The Ether density around the flower was already over 100 times the Ether inside his body, if he sits beside it, he would easily be able to compress his Ether and advance.'
"I'll take care of the surroundings, master."
"Good, I'll prepare in the meantime, there's much I need to do."
'Conditioning one's mind is but the first step, I also need to take the necessary potions and medicine to help the process and increase my overall strength after.'
'If everything works as intended, I may not even need to gather Ether and may even be able to breakthrough directly to the Advanced Grade!… After giving my body some time to rest.'
'No matter how fast I grow, there is an actual limit for growth.'
'Until my body matures, I can't go beyond this limit, but I can catch up to it and grow alongside it, slowly expanding it further naturally…'
'For me who's halfway to sixteen… That limit should be around Advanced Grade. To become an Expert, I'll have to become 18.'
'And finally, to become a Master, I'll have to become 24. But if I do everything right… I may be able to become one before 20, and GrandMaster before 24.'
'Once I become 24 and receive my third and last awakening… I'll be free to grow as I please.'
'Although by then… I may not even need to rely on the Card Rule.'
'Or so is the goal.'
…
/Later…/
"... The area within 1Km of us is safe, master. All threats have been neutralized at the cost of a few groups, but they have already been resurrected and their enemies taken down."
"What defeated them?" Rulio asked as he adjusted his breathing
"Other Advanced beasts in the region. But they've already been all taken care of."
"To cover more space faster, the army was mostly separated into small squads of four. If they end up clashing with a creature like a Beron, they would fall within a few minutes."
"I see, keep up the good work, make sure to build a simple perimeter around us so no uninvited guests arrive."
"Keep moving the scouts to pave the path North as well, we're still making our way to the Golden Mountains."
"I'll now enter a deep meditative state, if anyone crosses over the perimeter line, incapacitate them."
/Crack!/
/Summon…/
As he said that, he summoned Salvia, Liria, and Erilia, the three Spirit sisters…
"Master~!! You finally called." Liria said excitedly as she jumped in the air
""At your service, my Lord.""
"Everyone. I need your attention."
/Silence…/
"I'll begin my breakthrough, cooperate with Ririan until I'm finished, she knows what to do." Rulio said as he closed his eyes and focused
""Understood.""
"I'll protect you, Master~" Ririan said with a seductive smile as she sat next to him placing her head on his shoulder
"Humm… What do I do?"
"You?... Sit down on the corner and wait for me to give you an order."
"..."
Liria stared intently at Ririan as she touched Rulio's body indiscriminately, her eyelids twitching.
"Then I'll sit right here." She said as she sat down next to Rulio as well
"Hey! I alone am enough to protect Master."
"Is that so? I think otherwise!"
""...""
Salvia, and Erilia remained silent as they saw on the ground near the entrance of the cavern.
"Girls… I don't mind the contact, but I need focus here, if you move me around too much I may lose control of my Ether and regress instead of advancing." Rulio said in a strict tone as he opened his eyes
"Eeek…"
"My sincere apologies master."
"... Thank you, but from here on out… I need silence."
Rulio closed his eyes, this time, resolutely.
""...""
The Lich and the Spirit stared at each other in silent agreement.
They remained still, sitting by his side, two loyal guardians.
But things wouldn't go as smoothly…
…
/Crack… Whispers…/
"... We're getting closer, I can feel the violent Ether in the air… It must be… At least an Expert treasure." A man clad in leather clothes said as he raised his hand in the air to feel the wind
"Expert… We're going to make a fortune!" A woman said excitedly as she imagined what the item could be
"We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves, it could be anything." Someone else said as they tried to defuse everyone's excitement
"There's only one way to find out."
/Step…/
/SHA SHA SHA SHA!/
""?!""
Suddenly, from the trees and bushes in the forest, a group of eight skeletons clad in heavy armor appeared before the group raising their hands in a gesture to stop them.
/Shuaaa…/
One of them took a step forward, dark smoke surrounding his face, it spoke:
"Stop, this area is under lockdown. Take a step forward and you'll be considered a foe, you've been warned."
"Wh… Did this Skeleton Soldier…"
"It seems someone arrived before us and is in the process of retrieving the treasure. What do we do now?"
"It's usually first come first served. By the looks of it, these are Skeleton Soldiers although… They look a little different."
Skeleton Soldiers were a somewhat common Advanced Card, not strong but cheap and with a low cooldown if broken, somewhat reliable as Minions.
Given there were so many around, whoever was beyond this point was likely someone who specialized in Undead Cards, and the reason this Skeleton's looked different could be due to a Talent or because the Cards were strengthened to a certain point.
Given they all looked the same, it was likely a Talent, that was what they came up with in those quick seconds.
"We'll go back. It's not worth our time." Their leader said as he turned around
""...""
Everyone else followed silently.
…
/Meanwhile…/
{... They left} Ririan said mentally as she opened her eyes
One of the Spells Ririan was capable of casting, it allowed multiple individuals to share a single mental channel and speak telepathically with one another.
{How many were there? How strong…} Liria asked as she grew worried
{About eleven, I can't tell how strong they were, but their Ether waves surpassed those of my Summons, they were all Advanced Masters, likely pretty strong as well, hunters scavenging for materials and monsters in the depths of the forest most likely}
{Hm… I don't feel good about this… Send a wisp after them, let's see what they're planning}
{Alright}
Lirian clasped her hands together and a small warm light emerged from her fingers, taking the shape of a tiny ball with wings.
"Follow those Humans…" She said lightly as she blew some wind at the wisp
/Flap flap flap…/
The little wisp flew in the air gently, hiding its dark motives.
…
"... Are we leaving like that? Given there were only Skeleton Soldiers…"
"We aren't leaving. We'll change paths and pass through under the guise of cloaking. Once we're inside, we'll determine the enemy's strength, if it's too high, we'll turn back, if not, we'll fight for it."
"If we have to escape, even if the enemy's an Expert Card User, we can win, or at least open an escape route with our Minions."
"Haha… As expected… I needed some action, the last few days have been too peaceful."
"Get ready everyone!"
The eight Card Users began moving, unaware of the tiny wisp vanishing in the distance.
…
{... They're coming back, they're planning to pass through the blockade unnoticed and figure out our strength before engaging}
{They have the means to hide from us} Liria said as her expression went dark
{Hum… Human greed… No, it's their nature. Very well, let them pass}
{What?! You're risking master's safety!}
{Not at all, given their strength, having them fight our groups will only weaken us, and above all, we won't have enough time to gather our forces, so I have a better idea…}
{We'll fight them outside the cavern, but not too close to avoid impacting Master, meanwhile, the rest of the forces will gather to completely surround the enemy, preventing their scape}
{If we intercept them in an advantageous locale… We can control the battlefield}
{... Very well, tell me what to do}
{You can see the lifeforce of others, right?}
{And so can you, but yes, I can}
{Good, then send your Whisps to follow them from afar, I'll position the Skeleton Wizards and Liches on their path and we'll see if they'll choose to follow through with their attack or not}
{Regardless of what they choose… They won't be coming back}
{We've warned them once and that's enough}
Liria nodded, ready to fight.
…
/Step step…/
Under the cover of a Card, the group of people sneaked their way through the encirclement, avoiding the skeleton soldiers and archers positioned nearby.
As they walked, they realized just how many skeletons there truly were.
Only on their path, they spotted over two dozen skeletons, and if they were equally positioned around the area, wouldn't that mean their target had thousands of them?
Of course, they didn't believe that, what likely happened was that the target gathered more of his troops within a single area, increasing their density to prevent them from passing through. Still, it likely meant he had dozens of skeletons at his disposal.
They weren't very strong individually, but an entire army?... Now that would be hard if not impossible to fight against in these woods.
Eventually, they arrived at a clearing, still somewhat far from their target, but they stopped because…
"W-What are those things?" One of them asked as they raised their head
"Skeleton Soldiers? But they're…"
"Huge!"
The Colossus had been positioned on the clearing, intercepting them.
Even if they were small, it was far too risky to pass through them, they would have to go elsewhere.
"... This is getting sketchy, I've never seen so many Skeletons before and above all, those types… I'm afraid we may be dealing with some sort of high Minion Expert, we should retreat."
Minion Cards were amidst the rarest types, to have so many of them meant this guy or group of people were no joke.
"I agree, not only are there Soldiers, but also Archers and I think I saw Skeleton Wizards walking in the distance as well, this is a full army protecting however is beyond those Skeletons."
"We should have no problem breaching through, but they're quite numerous and we don't know how many there are hidden around. It's your call in the end Boss."
"Hum… We'll try to go around them, if not, we're leaving, let's move!"
They all nodded, going around the Skeletons, unknowingly going exactly where Ririan wanted them to go…
/Stop…/
Eventually, they stopped, confused.
"The target is before us, he must be inside a cavern in this mountain… We must be on the other side." Someone said as they checked a gadget on their wrist
"We circled him so much we got behind him huh… Very well, we'll climb over the hill…"
/Step…/
""?!""
At that moment, the forest rumbled…
Ten Skeleton Colossus approached them through the trees, pushing them aside…
From the sides, dozens upon dozens of Skeleton soldiers rose from the ground, circling them. And in the distance, Archers unburied themselves as they readied their weapons.
And then, above the mountain, five Skeleton Wizards stood in wait, watching the group in silence.
"SHIT! We've been discovered!"
"Since when?!"
"They probably realized from the start and intentionally led us here… Dammit! What an obvious trap!"
"What now Boss?"
"Huuu… Given these numbers, there's no way for us to breach through the army without heavy damages… In that case…"
/DASH!/
"We have to reach the Summoner and take him down! Or at the very least, cross the mountain and flee from the other side!"
"With me! Don't get behind, use all of your Cards!"
""YES!""
/CRACK!/
/SHINE!/
A dozen lights ignited in the forest as one Card after the other was activated.
Beasts were summoned, lights flashed, and fire rained.
As they ran, the earth rumbled behind them, causing the skeletons to stumble, meanwhile, fire rained from the sky, blocking the path behind them!
"Quick! Don't get behind!" Their Boss said as he mounted a large reptile, helping two others mount on it as well
/DASH!/
"Forward! A barrier!" Someone exclaimed as they looked at the Liches
There, an invisible barrier had been erected, it often shone due to the sunlight bending through it…
"Break through it! We can't be delayed!"
/CRACK!/
/SHINE!/
Even more Cards were activated, and an artillery of magical effects flew towards the barrier, shattering it instantly.
""@^#*%(#@...""
But at the same time, the five wizards finished their chant.
/FLASH!/
A beam of light flew in their direction, covering the full distance of 100 meters in the blink of an eye.
"LOOKOUT!"
But his words were far too late.
/Sheen!/
At that moment, a Card automatically activated and a barrier formed before their Boss, reflecting the light beam and causing it to strike the ground.
"Dammit! That was my "Reflect Magic" consumable Card, we need to break through it now!"
/… FALL!/
/BAM!/
""?!""
"SH…"
/SWING!/
Shattering the earth, an extra Skeleton Colossus emerged from the mountain, immediately swinging it's cleaver toward the running group!
/Evade!/
/CLASH!/
Even to its size, the Skeleton was incredibly fast, and despite their best attempts at evading it, the Skeleton still struck one of their mounts, causing two of them to fall behind.
"Dammit! They're rising from the ground! Evasive maneuvers!"
The Boss used a Card as he said that, causing two bolts of light to wrap around their two fallen companions.
The next moment, they had been teleported to his location, wrapped around his mount, unconscious.
/DASH!/
"DIE!"
Finally, they arrived at the casting Wizards, using all sorts of Cards as they tried to burst them all at once.
/BOOOM!/
"We did it…"
The Skeleton Wizards exploded under the might of their Cards, however…
"Don't stop running!"
/Shuaa…/
""?!""
From the shadows, twenty skeletons clad in dark robes manifested when their guards were down, striking precisely at their mounts' weak spots before returning to the shadows.
"S-Shit! Skeleton Assassins!"
/FALL!/
Their mounts dead or seriously injured from their attacks, they all began falling one after the other as they crossed over the middle point of the hill, rolling down towards its foot.
"N-NOOO!"
However, a part of their group who was behind unfortunately did not cross the threshold, falling backward towards the Skeleton Army tsunamy.
"NOO! Everyone!... FUUCK!"
Their leader did not give up, immediately using a few more Cards to stabilize their fall, helping them slide while also strengthening them.
Of 8, 2 were unconscious, 3 fell behind, and 1 was considerably injured. Leaving only their party leader and another left still able to fight.
"Huff…"
But it was clear the party leader was getting tired, having used half a dozen Cards already, including some life saving ones, he was reaching the limit of his energy supply.
Not all were like Rulio who had far more energy compared to his peers, the usual was for people to slowly funnel toward having similar gauges, nevertheless, when each Cards cost 10-20 energy points and they only had 100-200…
'At this rate, we'll be whipped out… What do I do?!'
Once they arrived at the bottom of the hill, their party leader saw the cave's entrance in the distance.
They had been tricked again, the mountains before them weren't their target! It was beyond it.
At the sight of it, he had an idea…
'If the target is over there… As long as I take him out, all of his summons will vanish!'
'But to get there… I'll need time…'
/Crack!/
As he said that, the ground began to split and even more Skeletons began to pop up.
He found it all odd, how come there were so many?!
Around him, a small army of fifty ish Skeleton Soldiers and Archers were approaching from all sides, and from afar, he could see the outlines of at least three more Colossus!
/Cast…/
"?!"
Behind him, he suddenly felt Ether move, and to his horror, the five Wizards he took out before were now back in action!
'These numbers, it's… It's impossible!'
'And they're back, h-how can this be!? This isn't an illusion, they're all real but how?!'
"I… Need you to buy me time… No, I need you to…"
"Go captain… Regardless of everything, it was fun." The woman next to him replied with a chuckle as she looked at the man fondly
"... I'll be back…"
"What's going on here? Damn…"
""?!""
From the cavern in the distance, a masked man stepped into the light.
Covered in a veil of shadow and distortion, the only trait discernable about the man was his smiling wooden mask.
"How noisy." The man said, his voice distorting with every syllable
"U-Urg…"
'It hurts to merely look at him, j-just what is going on… No, I can't give up now!'
/CRACK!/
The man pulled up his last Card of use in this situation… And reappeared right before Rulio!
"DIE!"
""?!""
A knife in his hand, he aimed at Rulio's chest with immeasurable speed, buffed by a dozen Cards:
/PIERCE!/
/CLANG!/
"?!"
"Humph."
But the moment his knife reached fifty centimeters of his chest, a translucent barrier flashed, and his knife bounced straight into the air.
/Crack…/
"... How potifull... Slash." Rulio replied in a cold tone
/SLASH!/
The next thing the man saw was a wave of white light, and then, the whole world turned dark.
/SMASH!/
Behind him, his last remaining companion was knocked out, and soon enough, the entire battlefield went silent.
/Jump!/
"M-Master! A-Are you…"
/Hug…/
"It's okay everyone, I'm fine, thank you for the worry." Rulio said as he hugged Ririan to calm her down, definitely not because he had any ulterior motive
"Master~!!"
"You stay put!"
/PUSH!/
"Ouch! Why did you do that, you cold zombie?!" Liria said angrily as she pointed at Ririan
"Zombie?! Then what are you? A firefly?"
"YOU!"
"Girls… Please. Anymore and I may actually develop something in my ears…" Rulio said as he pushed Ririan aside
""Master.""
"Everyone's here it seems… Do me a favor and stabilize these Users' health, I don't want anyone dying in front of me, not anytime soon."
""Yes, my Lord.""
"... Liria, go help them as well."
"Mumumu… Fine…" She said dejectedly as she turned around and floated in the air with her head down
"... Sigh."
'She's a little dramatic.'
"Ririan, tell me, what happened?"
"... Before that, did you succeed? We didn't interrupt you did we?"
"Not at all, I'm fine. I finished my breakthrough quite some time ago. In fact, I was just getting used to my Ether when I heard some commotion."
"Well… It's like this…" Ririan said as she began explaining everything that happened
…
"... I see now. Everything became quite clear."
'They're just ordinary Card Users. Well, not ordinary given they're all Advanced Rank, perhaps even above average.'
'This place is filled with people like them, they aren't evil, just opportunistic. In here and everywhere else, you fight for your resources, they wouldn't have given up so easily.'
'But if it's to talk about morality, I doubt this was the first time they attacked someone else due to greed. It's a dog eat dog world out there, but it doesn't justify attacking others for profit, it just justifies a sickening mentality and the desire for survival.'
'At which point killing for survival stops being moral? Was it ever?...'
'It didn't seem like they were intending to kill me at first, just take my resources, which is fine… But that last move was quite full of… What would one say… Killing intent?'
'It was quite hard to follow his attack, it came at me in the blink of an eye…'
'Had it not been for my shield Card, things would've been a little ugly…'
{Buckler +140 /Basic/
Type: Projection/Barrier
Activation Cost: 25
Effect: Manifests a small buckler before you to defend against attacks
Duration: Activation
Augmentation 1 -> Changes Buckler into Tower Shield, greatly increasing its current Stats and Abilities.
Augmentation 2 -> Buckler's Defensive Stats +350%
Augmentation 3 -> Buckler's base Defensive Stat increase per Enhancement Level +10% (Multiplicative)
Augmentation 4 -> Adds the "Barrier" Type to the Card, allowing it to resist Energy attacks with higher efficiency and defuse stronger Physical attacks.
Augmentation 5 -> Buckler gains the Living Fortification Ability, enhancing the defensive Stats of all under its protection.
All Units under the effects of Fortification add onto Buckler's overall Defensive Stat, to a maximum of 1000%
Buckler's area and shape can be altered according to the user's will, changing its Stats depending on its shape and structure.
Buckler gains a temporary, +50% resistance to the last element it was struck with.
Augmentation 6 -> 25% chance to deflect all attacks regardless of their strength.
Augmentation 7 -> Changes Tower Shield into Directional Shield, massively increasing its current Stats and Abilities.
}
'Anyway, I'm not keen on dirtying my hands with their blood, but I can't leave them be either…'
'My appearance is hidden and none of my Main Cards were shown, but the Skeletons are too recognizable and I can't stop using them just for their sake.'
"Dav, you can appear now, stop hiding."
/Shua…/
"Young Master… Urg…"
"Oh, I'm sorry Dav, it's the mask." Rulio said as he pulled his mask off
'I'm a cautious guy, I can't have others taking peaks of my face or my Summons who are highly identifiable.'
'But if it works on Dav to some degree, then it'll work on most individuals I'll meet on the field… This strange Card…'
{Wooden Mask +100 /Basic/
Type: Item/Mental/Illusion
Activation Cost: 5
Effect: Creates a small wooden mask to cover your face with.
Duration: N/A
Augmentation 1 -> Wooden Mask now covers the whole face and its complexity increases.
Augmentation 2 -> Wooden Mask gains the Incomprehensible Anomaly Ability, disguising the User's form from being recognized by any.
Adds the "Mental" and "Illusion" Types to the Card, allowing it to affect the Minds and Psyche of those of weak mental fortitude.
The User will appear as a possessed spirit to those unable to resist its corruption, and as a dark, shadowy outline to those that resist it.
The mask hypnotizes all who lay their gaze on it, creating illusions to cloud their judgment.
Those deemed as enemies will be continuously affected by the Mask's presence, and the longer they're under it, the stronger the illusions they'll witness will be.
The Mask won't affect those with sufficiently high mental fortitude.
Augmentation 3 -> Wooden Mask protects its wearer from Mental and Illusion attacks.
Augmentation 4 -> Changes Wooden Mask into Voodoo Doctor's Mask, considerably increasing its current Stats and Abilities.
Augmentation 5 -> Increases all pattern inhibition effects of the Wooden Mask.
}
'At first, I Enhanced this Card for the sake of my Talent Evolution, but then I saw its potential, and I'm not disappointed with it.'
'It has zero abilities to strengthen me, however, it's an excellent defensive item.'
'Every enemy I fight against will suffer quite the headache from just looking in my general direction, it's a great assistant overall.'
'Anyway…'
"Thank you for not interfering and giving me a chance, now, what do you think we should do with those 8?"
"Given the Card Rule, their deaths are justified as self-defense, especially given these circumstances: You're a younger Card User, and it's considered dishonorable to engage in such conflicts."
"You've just awakened, which also puts it as a great dishonor, and above all, there's a wide Grade gap between you all, their deaths and fates are entirely on your hands, I'll follow your will."
"Honestly, if it were entirely for me… I would've taken their lives the moment they trespassed after you warned them."
"You may call me cowardly, but you have no second chances in life." He said deeply and without emotion as he bowed to Rulio
"Thank you for the input but I have no desire to take their lives."
"Should I then?"
"No, that's even worse, giving you the order to kill in my stead, much less in this scenario, I'm not a cowardly fool… Can we imprison them instead, maybe move them to the Manor for temporary confinement?"
'At least until I figure out how to deal with them.'
"Unfortunately that may not be possible, young master, the laws within Golden Gate city are clear and unbreakable, even for our family."
"Mayhaps if your grandparents were involved, but that would…"
"Escalate this issue, right? If I did that, only disappointment would befall onto me. My grandfather wouldn't want me to bring the family into a mess solely because I was unwilling to kill someone."
'Death is inevitable in this world, if you can't toughen up… Someone will bend you over.'
'I don't want to be the kind of young master that kills whoever is on his way, but neither do I wish to be a fool who can't understand the world.'
"I need to ponder over this issue, subdue them so they may be unable to act, we'll continue our march North."
"Are we still advancing? I thought you succeeded in your breakthrough."
"And I did, but I said I would go to the Golden mountains so I am, this is a great chance to figure out how strong I am and to progress as a Card User. I won't back down."
"We'll bring them along, until I figure out what to do with them."
"... Understood. But I would recommend you to reach this conclusion soon."
"And why is that?"
"Experience has told me that overthinking may often lead one to their downfall, spending too much time with an enemy can cause even the more paranoid of warriors to open their guard up, don't forget who they are and what they did, maintain a level head and make your decision."
"Young master, one day, you'll have to make decisions, trying to maintain a clean mind and soul, to stick to one's ethics and morals is commendable, but everyone makes choices they don't like. Even your father."
"They made their choice knowing what it could mean not only for their safety but yours… They were ready to take a life if it meant getting what they wanted…"
"Are you ready to take one to guarantee your safety?"
"..."
Even though Rulio had already neutralized them, he still understood what Dav meant.
He wasn't like those ruthless main characters who reincarnated only to immediately adapt and start killing all of their foes.
He had long conditioned his mind for this day, but he still struggled to make a choice, in the end, despite not feeling disgust or fear.
"I… Need time to think. Until then… We'll leave them here inside the cave, collect the flower and store it appropriately, after that, we'll just lock them in place until we return."
"Understood."
Dav turned around, meeting face to face with Ririan, who bowed graciously at him.
And despite his cold expression, he was deeply confused inside.
Still, he did as he was trained and walked past them, going to do what he was told.
"Master…" Ririan spoke with concern as she approached him
"Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm not weak enough to let such an issue get in my way."
"I'm… Just afraid of getting used to it, of losing myself to power."
"I've seen what others my age do with the lives they were given, I may call them wrong, others may call them ridiculous, spoiled, or worse, but I know that the only thing that separates them from each other are the lives they lived."
"People like to point at each other, but would they have acted differently if they were given the chance?"
"I'd like to believe I would, and hence, I'm trying to act my part… I know it's wrong, but until…"
/Hug…/
"Master, you're not wrong. You're just being considerate. Mercy isn't meant to be wrong, it's meant to be the mark of the true strong."
"So stop gnawing at yourself. Just do what you believe is right."
"... Very well."
Rulio turned to the eight individuals as they were dragged inside a cave.
"Prepare a Skeleton, I'll have a word with them… My last one."
"If their words are not satisfactory… I'll end this here."
"This is my responsibility."
…
/Later…/
"Urg…"
"... You've awoken. It's time."
"?... ?!!"
The Captain opened his eyes inside a dark cavern, tied to a rock pillar, he could barely move his body.
He looked around, and with a heavy heart, he saw all of his companions strapped around multiple pillars like him, all with tired gazes. But alive.
"Focus on me, I won't speak again."
He turned to the being before him, a tall Skeleton soldier with smoke coming out from within its skull.
It didn't have a pleasant tone.
"... Last time we met, I gave you all a clear warning, yet here we are."
""...""
"This is the world of Card Users, you take a gamble, you win, or lose. Those who cling to their morals… Perish."
"So I'll give you all a chance."
"Why? You said it…"
"I didn't give you permission to speak, you should be grateful you can still breathe." The Skeleton said as it held the man's mouth shut
"I'm not someone who takes lives whenever I feel pleased, but nor am I someone who's willing to let others who cross me and threaten my safety live. So you guys are in a bind."
"But there's a way for you to live. And it's rather simple."
"A Card Duel, the conditions are simple, I win, I take your memories of today, you win, you die."
"..."
The conditions were clearly not in their favor.
A Card Duel was a special law managed by the Card Rule. It was one of the many ways for Card Users to settle disputes without affecting the common folk.
Two or more individuals would state their conditions for victory and defeat, and the system would do the rest. While also trying to maintain fairness between the duels.
Cards were usually the primary rewards for victory or losses, but much more has been requested over the years… Memories were just one of the many possible things to ask the Card Rule to manage.
Technically speaking this wasn't a sure way of removing their memories, as the Card Rule would solely take them, but until he grew to a point where he would attract the attention of those big shots, this method would do.
"You have ten seconds to decide."
"Ten…"
""...""
They all looked at each other for a moment before the man said:
"We accept."
"Excelent."
Rulio took out a small item, raising it before the man.
It was a small spherical metal ball.
"I challenge you to a Card Rule, loss condition… Your memories of the last four hours."
"In the situation I lose… Let's say I'll give some of my Cards."
'Not that it would happen anyway.'
""We accept.""
[Initiating Duel]
/Shine…/
The ball rose to the air before it opened, and a green light shone from its core.
With that, the world changed as the cavern became an open field, and several words began to manifest above each.
[Core Power: 12000]
[Energy Points: 2000]
Rulio looked above his head, and he scoffed.
'I hate Duels.'
[Rolling Dice…]
Core Power represented one's energy shield, if it shattered, they lost.
Energy Points represented their Ether, it recovered over time and it was used between rounds to deploy Cards.
Each group was given a round to act, and in this scenario, it was one versus many, and to some degree, those eight individuals had the advantage… Maybe Rulio could even…
"... I surrender…"
"I surrender."
"I…"
But they all quickly surrendered.
[The Card Duel is over]
[Winner: Rulio Fei Dal-Chin]
"Tsk, I hate how it shows my name…"
/Shine…/
Within a flash of light, the world returned to how it used to be.
"... It's done."
"Dav."
"Right beside you."
"Drop them off somewhere in the middle of the forest, far away from us. I'll give some Skeletons to help you with that."
"But before that… Let me take a look at their Cards."
"..."
…
/Around an hour later…/
/ROOAAAAARR!/
"... It's quite loud… Ririan… Kill it." Rulio said as he pointed at a furry creature in the distance
After walking for a long time collecting all kinds of resources, fighting monsters and avoiding other scavengers, they finally arrived at the foot of the Golden Mountains.
The Nugget Forest.
Although it had a funny name, it wasn't as funny in the distant past.
This forest was known for having massive trees scattered throughout its expanse, and in each tree, golden chunks of barks would grow before falling on the ground due to their weight.
It wasn't Gold at all, it was actually a solidified sap, still, it was quite pretty to look at.
In the past, explorers thought it resembled gold nuggets, so it was thus named after this trait.
/ROAR!/
Before them, a large ape creature with two pairs of arms hang on the giant trees, looking down at them as it smashed its arms on its chest.
It was declaring its territory.
"My pleasure." Ririan said as she raised her
This would be her first real fight, and it would be against quite the strong opponent…
"An Expert Grade beast…" Rulio mumbled as he saw her walk before him
'Am I asking too much of her?... This isn't going to be easy.'
...
.
.
.
Notes
This is it, the end. Everything I've written about this.
Was it exciting or boring? Does it have potential?
Thank you for reading until here, I hope you liked the story!
Peace!
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